Measuring the carbon emissions of urban residential buildings over their entire life cycle helps evaluate their environmental impact. However, the complexity and diversity of indicators complicate establishing an evaluation system. To address this, we focused on three phases: construction, operation, and demolition, selecting highly relevant and quantifiable indicators for each. Using the recursive feature elimination method combined with cross-validation (RFECV), we identified 10 key indexes that form the best subset of features across these phases. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) calculates the weight of each index, leading to a comprehensive carbon emission assessment model for urban residential buildings. Based on data from 13 cities in Jiangsu Province, we developed an effective carbon emission evaluation system for the entire life cycle of buildings. This study provides a scientific basis for developing green building standards and energy conservation policies.